Tell Khuera — Südstadt (South Town)
Tell Chuera · Tell Chuera South Town · Südstadt Khuera
EBA to Late Roman (3100 BCE–400 CE; peak EBA 2700 BCE)·EBA Jazira (Khabur zone) → Amorite → Roman·🇸🇾 Hasaka–Raqqa steppe, Wadi Chuera, Syria
About
About Tell Khuera — Südstadt (South Town)
Khuera Südstadt is the 12 ha Roman-Byzantine lower town south of the 1 km-circumference Early Bronze circular walled town (Tell Chuera main) documented by Moortgat and Franke (1986–98). EBA palace F (2700 BCE) with mass administrative quarter on high tell; Südstadt later houses early Jazira temples imported to Roman forts. Ethnographic sheepfold mapping informs interpretation.
Why it mattersOnly EBA truly circular urban plan in Jazira proving 3rd-millennium geometric planning preceding Chuera citadel.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Meaning of outer Südstadt temple crowns?
Theories
- 01Moortgat: Chuera=Harbe?; Dougherty equating with non-Harbu
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.3100 BCE (EBA Early)
- Period
- EBA to Late Roman (3100 BCE–400 CE; peak EBA 2700 BCE)
- Culture
- EBA Jazira (Khabur zone) → Amorite → Roman
- Builders
- Early Jazira townspeople
- Purpose
- Circular planned town with outside temple-ring hamlet
- Abandoned
- c.400 CE (steppe desertification)
- Rediscovered
- 1958 Moortgat Wadi Chronik; 1986 Franke surface mapping
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
1986–1998
Goethe University-Tübingen Südstadt grid
c.2700 BCE
Palace F administration and Steinbau 1 temple terrace
On the ground
Structures & features
35.9200° N · 39.4700° E · 400 m · 3 mapped features
Khuera Palace F Quarter
palaceEBA palace administrative store and sealings
35.9207° N · 39.4706° EKhuera Steinbau 1 Terrace
templeStone temple platform NE of Südstadt
35.9193° N · 39.4708° EKhuera Südstadt Temple Row
shrineThree small Roman-reused antetemples
35.9211° N · 39.4695° E